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Episode SummaryXavier Collins, London-born and New Zealand-raised, is no stranger to building marketplaces that scale. After early days at Uber, Xavier joined Nexus Notes before launching Deliveroo into dozens of UK cities and spearheading Turo’s growth across Europe. Now he’s applying his marketplace magic to the film industry with Wonder, an AI-native creative studio backed by Blackbird, LocalGlobe, and a host of world-class angels.In today’s episode, Xavier takes us deep into the creative frontier of AI and storytelling, exploring how technology can unlock new levels of creativity, reshape entertainment financing, and give more filmmakers a voice. We cover:• How AI is redefining storytelling and enabling more scripts to reach production• Lessons from building successful marketplaces at Uber, Deliveroo, Turo, and Nexus Notes• The keys to marketplace success: seeding liquidity, focusing on quality supply, and defining user experience• Why the entertainment industry is overdue for disruption (and how Wonder is leading the charge)• How filmmakers and creatives can harness AI to amplify their visionWe also dive into Xavier’s unique journey—from narrowly missing a consulting career to hustling his way through startups, and the unforgettable Cannes moment that launched Wonder.Time Stamps02:49 The Cannes moment: Realising AI will reshape filmmaking07:18 Using AI to rescue stories that wouldn’t otherwise be told10:56 The life-changing phone call that sent Xavier into startups19:37 Early lessons on marketplace liquidity from Deliveroo and Turo25:52 Price, selection, and service: The three pillars of marketplace success32:16 Services vs SaaS: Rethinking business models in the AI age41:05 Financing films 101: Inside Xavier’s other venture, Lumiere Ventures48:26 Xavier’s advice to young people: Lean into AI nowResources🙋🏻‍♂️ Xavier Collins’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xaviercollins/✨ Wonder – AI-native creative studio: https://www.wonder.incDiaspora.nz is part of Day One.Day One helps founders and startup operators make better business decisions more often. To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new Diaspora.nz episodes and upcoming shows.

Episode SummaryAnton Jackson Smith is a synthetic biologist, Stanford PhD, and founder of b.next—a startup building synthetic cells from scratch to make biology truly programmable. Think of it as rewriting life’s codebase, with applications ranging from cancer treatments and diagnostics to lab-grown foods and smart crops.In today’s episode, Anton breaks down what synthetic cells actually are (and why they matter), how his open-source platform Nucleus is changing the way biology is engineered, and why the future of medicine, agriculture, and climate tech might be written in DNA.We also dig into his journey, from coding in Queenstown and law school in Otago, to cutting-edge research in Silicon Valley, and how a random article on programmable E. coli changed everything.In this conversation, we cover:• How synthetic cells could power the next generation of therapeutics and diagnostics• Why biology needs its own “AWS moment” and how open source can unlock it• The real business model behind synthetic biology (and why it's not just science)• How Kiwi strengths in agriculture and biotech could shape a global future• What New Zealand needs to do to retain and return its brightest mindsAnton also shares his vision for a safer, more ethical bio-economy, and how we can build powerful new tools without repeating the mistakes of the past.Time Stamps01:21 What is a synthetic cell—and why should you care?06:44 How Anton fell into biology (thanks to an E. coli article in Vietnam)11:12 Why modifying real cells isn’t enough—and what BNext is doing differently16:30 The near-term use cases: cancer, diagnostics, and food22:47 How Nucleus is creating the open-source toolkit for biology30:14 Three phases of BNext’s business model: Boot → Build → Bazaar37:10 The big vision: programmable biology that saves lives44:18 What New Zealand’s biotech future could look like47:30 Returning talent, building bridges, and bringing brains back homeResources🙋🏻‍♂️ Anton Jackson Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonjacksonsmith🧬 b.next : https://www.bnext.bioDiaspora.nz is part of Day One.Day One helps founders and startup operators make better business decisions more often. To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new Diaspora.nz episodes and upcoming shows.

Episode SummaryGrowing up in Wellington, New Zealand, with parents in the police force and government, a career in film and TV wasn’t exactly on the radar for Georgia Rippin. But after studying law and Māori at Vic, she made a bold leap to New York, armed with only a suitcase, a dream, and a few blocks of Whittaker’s chocolate that she used to slip into mailrooms of the biggest studios on the planet. That scrappiness paid off: Georgia wound up producing mid-form shows (those 10- to 20-minute episodic pieces that can eventually scale into full series), teaming up with major networks, and ultimately founding Kold Open, a platform reshaping how creators monetise their IP and get discovered.In this episode, Georgia digs into the pitfalls of legacy media, why YouTube fails episodic creators, and how AI-driven product placement might unlock new revenue streams for independent filmmakers. She also shares the real story of how she broke into the industry, from dressing like an assistant to cold-knocking on studio doors, and why she believes being just the right amount of naïve can be an entrepreneur’s superpower. Finally, she offers insights for fellow Kiwis eager to chase creative careers on the world’s biggest stages.Time Stamps00:00 – Intro02:16 – From legal briefs to scripts: Why she picked New York over LA04:18 – Mid-form explained: How shows like Workaholics and It’s Always Sunny began08:01 – Why YouTube’s algorithm hurts episodic creators—and how Kold Open fixes it10:20 – Cracking the first big studio deal: Lessons in hustle, grit, and chocolate bribes14:19 – Being ‘productively naïve’: Georgia on forging a path without industry connections18:07 – AI’s silver lining for indies: New tools that help with coloring, sound, and distribution25:37 – Rise of FAST channels: Why “free TV” is the next frontier for content creators31:53 – The founder journey: Building a startup in NYC and hitting sustainable revenue35:54 – AI-driven ad placement: Adding a digital Pepsi cup post-production (and getting paid)40:48 – Advice for aspiring Kiwi creators: Collaboration, comedic storytelling, and never giving upResources- Kold Open – Georgia’s mid-form platform: https://www.koldopen.com- Georgia Rippin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-rippin/- Viva La Dirt League (NZ’s comedy YouTubers mentioned): https://www.youtube.com/c/VivaLaDirtLeague

Episode SummaryBowen Pan’s career is a playbook on turning hidden opportunities into global products. Currently the VP of Product at Common Room (a $52M Series B startup backed by Greylock and Index Ventures), Bowen previously shaped major products at Facebook and Stripe. At Facebook, he discovered latent buying and selling behaviour buried in groups, leading to the creation of Facebook Marketplace, now serving over 500 million people worldwide. Later, at Stripe, Bowen built their apps platform, creating an ecosystem empowering small businesses around the globe.Bowen’s product philosophy hinges on ruthless curiosity, finding underserved markets, and cultivating teams focused on impact, not visibility. From his formative days at Trade Me in New Zealand, through launching ambitious new verticals at Facebook, to redefining payments at Stripe, Bowen shares how Kiwi generalism laid the foundation for his product-led approach.In today’s episode, we cover:• How Bowen uncovered and scaled Facebook Marketplace from a simple SQL query• Why high-impact, low-visibility projects are career superchargers• How New Zealand shaped Bowen’s holistic view of product building• The secret to spotting hidden user behaviour that others overlook• The skills you should build (and ignore) to be an exceptional product leader• Why truth-seeking is the greatest career skill of all• How Common Room is reinventing go-to-market by putting people firstWe also explore Bowen’s thoughts on investing in passionate founders, the future of product management amidst AI-driven tools, and how Kiwi companies can better leverage global opportunities.Time Stamps00:32 Bowen’s journey from Trade Me to Facebook, Stripe, and Common Room02:27 Spotting hidden opportunities: the power of latent user behaviour09:45 Building Facebook Marketplace from scratch21:00 How Bowen validated Marketplace’s potential28:43 Stripe’s mission and building a platform for SMBs35:43 What defines excellent product management?47:26 The future of product leadership in the age of AI55:18 How New Zealand shaped Bowen’s global career59:25 Using New Zealand as a global testing ground01:03:55 Investing philosophy: finding founders with secret insightsResourcesBowen Pan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bowenpan/Common Room - Reinventing go-to-market software: https://www.commonroom.io

Episode SummaryJoel Little is one of the world's top music producers, quietly shaping global hits behind the scenes - from co-writing Lorde’s breakthrough "Royals" to producing massive tracks for artists like Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, and Khalid. Despite Grammys, multi-platinum records, and billions of streams, Joel remains remarkably down-to-earth, bringing a uniquely Kiwi sensibility to Hollywood and beyond.In this special live episode, Joel flips roles with early Trade Me engineer and investor Rowan Simpson, uncovering the striking similarities between creating hit songs and building startups. They dive into the art of discovering and shaping raw talent, how Kiwi humility can be a secret weapon (and sometimes a weakness), and the critical role that producers, mentors, and early supporters play in global success stories.In today’s episode, we cover:• Joel’s wild ride from recording Royals in two days to topping global charts, winning Grammys, and producing some of the decade’s biggest songs• What music producers actually do, and why creative collaboration often feels like therapy• Why Joel sold his song catalogue (and how that’s like a startup “exit”)• The parallels between startups and music: from finding product-market fit, to pivoting when something’s not working, to knowing how to scale authentically• How Kiwi humility can be both a superpower and a stumbling block on the world stage• The backstory of Joel’s non-profit Big Fan, building studios and stages for the next generation of Kiwi artistsWe also hear about Joel’s own personal growth, from musician in Goodnight Nurse to world-renowned producer, and Rowan’s perspective from the early days of Trade Me and Xero, reflecting on how creativity and business blend in unexpected ways.Time Stamps00:00 Intro01:19 Meet Joel Little: Grammy-winning Kiwi producer behind Royals, Taylor Swift, Khalid, and more03:07 What does a producer actually do? Joel breaks down his creative process10:22 The making of Royals: how a song recorded in two days became a global hit15:58 Life after Royals: from struggling musician to Grammy-winning producer19:08 Working with global superstars: Imagine Dragons, Khalid, Taylor Swift22:04 How Joel avoided the classic rockstar pitfalls (and stayed authentically Kiwi)23:12 Why Kiwi humility is both Joel’s secret weapon and greatest challenge28:00 Early days at Trade Me - Rowan shares his journey from scrappy startup to Kiwi tech icon30:16 What Joel looks for in creative collaborators—and how startups can learn from his approach42:12 Selling his catalogue: Joel’s version of a startup “exit”46:30 Big Fan: Joel’s nonprofit building studios and stages for the next generation of artistsResourcesJoel Little’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjoellittleRowan Simpson's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowansimpson/Big Fan – Joel’s nonprofit for emerging Kiwi artists: https://bigfan.co.nzRoyals by Lorde (Grammy-winning single produced by Joel Little): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtcYoung Dumb & Broke by Khalid (Joel’s biggest streaming hit): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPfJnp1guPc

Kathryn Zealand, Founder and CEO of Skip and former project lead at Google X, shares her inspiring journey to revolutionize mobility through robotic exoskeletons. She discusses how her grandmother's fall sparked her mission to enhance independence for aging individuals. Kathryn details the innovative MoGo, designed for ease of movement, and explores the challenges of navigating FDA approvals. With insights from her time at Google X, she highlights the importance of user intent in robotic design and the complexities of funding hardware startups.

Jamie Beaton, Founder and CEO of Crimson Education and a Rhodes Scholar, shares insights from his journey to build a global education empire. He discusses the flaws in the traditional university model and predicts which institutions will thrive. Jamie highlights how AI is revolutionizing access to elite education and addresses the need for students in New Zealand to seek international opportunities. He also offers invaluable advice on leadership and shares lessons learned from his mentors, all while exploring the future dynamics of education.

Listen/subscribe on * Apple podcasts* Spotify He’s been Murray Hewitt, Psycho Sam, Norman from Yes Man, Guy Mann, Hypno-Potamus, a stand-up comedian, a sit-down band manager, a children’s book author, a soldier… and now Binkle-bonk the Tree Goblin in upcoming “Badjelly the Witch” 🤩In this week’s Diaspora pod, legendary Kiwi comedian Rhys Darby joins us - live from L.A - to talk through his rise from Canterbury to Edinburgh to Hollywood in a career that’s seen him star in multiple comedy specials, voice over countless animated shows and co-star with everyone from Jim Carrey to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Rhys hasn’t made the journey alone: also joining us is his incredible wife & long-time manager, Rosie Carnahan Darby, who talks about her career in entertainment management, production, writing comedy, how comedians can get ahead, how entertainers can be devastated by changes in AI and tech… and shares the creative projects of their two sons in this very funny family. In today’s episode, we discuss* Rosie and Rhys’s entwined journeys over 25 years in the global comedy industry, dating back to Rhys's "Dad's Army"-inspired entry into the NZ Army, and Rosie's rise as one of the most sought after comedy club managers in NZ.* The business of comedy: how they think about new opportunities, structure and finance their ventures... and what the future holds.* Tall poppy syndrome in NZ, and imposter syndrome in the U.S... how NZ's (over?) orientation towards equality and "fairness" actually holds back our highest achievers, and can drive them offshore.* Raising a family in L.A. vs. NZ, finding balance and getting the best of both cultures.* How some projects Rosie and Rhys write together don’t succeed, though the pair focus on creating future opportunities for other projects. * How Rhys found the next phase of his career after Flight of the Conchords finished.* Why and how Rhys is now using Substack to build a direct connection with fans* Advice on how to break out as a comedian and what managers like Rosie are looking for — comparing finding emerging creative talent with seeing talent in startups, from the POV of a talent manager/agent vs. venture capitalist. * Whether AI might be able to help actors and voice actors, and whether AI is taking human jobs in a future in which screen entertainment might be created by robotsMake sure you head on over to Rhys’s substack and subscribe!— Also - quick shout-out from me: Blackbird’s Sunrise festival is coming up soon — November 26th in Wellington, NZ. As we like to say, this is our love letter to startups and the people building them … a one-day festival that brings together ~500 tech founders, operators, policy people and ecosystem supporters to be inspired, challenged and entertained. Tickets are half gone and won’t be around for long… IF you’ve been looking for an excuse to get back to Wellington, this is it! Head over to thesunrise.live for more info + tickets! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Listen/Subscribe on:* Apple Podcasts* SpotifyHint Health co-founder and CEO Zak Holdsworth retains a strong Kiwi accent - after all, he grew up on a farm near Gisborne. It was no ordinary farm, however, as Zak tells us.Considering his mother was a diplomat and his father an inventor and pioneer of pultrusion, Zak developed a taste for innovation in the wider world, and eventually headed off to Stanford Graduate School of Business to achieve his MBA. Zak worked briefly as a VC prior to joining the founding team ofWellnessFX in 2011, a California company which diagnosed health conditions through blood analysis.He then went on to co-found Hint Health in 2014 – a platform which has raised $64 in investment and today handles over a billion dollars worth of payments per year.Based in San Francisco, Hint is a vertical SaaS platform powering Direct Primary Care practitioners allowing them to to focus on patients in an industry which has until recently been far too dependent on the insurance system to cover patient costs and which - as Zak tells us - wastes more money annually than NASA’s 60-year budget. Disrupting the $4 trillion US healthcare industry is a topic also shared by our previous guest Dr Zachary Tan.Zak joins us to share his ideas about finding and investing in disruptive startups, the future of cryptocurrency, and how New Zealand might be a great place to run the next Xero from.In today's episode, we discuss:* Hint Health’s mission to step away from insurance, give everyone a transparent rate of costs and connect patients with unlimited access to primary care, telemedicine, urgent care and other services - the way Zak remembers it when he was a child in NZ* Getting into Stanford business school, realising which paths weren’t ideal, before taking on US healthtech with Hint Health* How Zak’s passion for startups included forays into venture capitalism as well as patenting a phone charger* The staggering percentage of each dollar Zak feels is wasted when handled through health insurance.* Reasons for lack of change in US healthcare* Becoming respected in the healthtech community with the Hint Summit annual conference* Whether the startup community's expectations of how quickly a startup should triple or 100x its revenue are fair expectations or not.* DeFi Summer, and lessons learned while investing in crypto currency* Faith in Bitcoin* Zak's balance between being plugged into Silicon Valley but having peace and tranquility to focus on his family.* …and whether New Zealand’s tech startup ecosystem is ready to host another Xero.Referenced:* Hint Healthhttps://www.hint.com/* Stanford Graduate School of Businesshttps://www.gsb.stanford.edu/* The Hint Summithttps://summit.hint.com/Where to find Zak Holdsworth:* LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakholdsworth/X/Twitter https://x.com/zakholdsworth?lang=en This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Listen/subscribe on:* Apple Podcasts* SpotifyClint Van Marrewijk (pronounced Marra-vick) is director and co-founder of Zelandez, a leading lithium brine technology company building cutting edge sensors and production plants for lithium brine mining operations in the ‘Lithium Triangle’ of Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, as well as the USA and Canada. It’s a long way from the Waihi dairy farm on which he grew up before undertaking a mechanical engineering degree then moving to Colorado and setting up a Kiwisaver scheme. If you don’t know why people get so excited about lithium, it’s because lithium ion rechargeable batteries are cleaner, greener, more powerful and longer-lasting than most other battery options. This is why lithium ion is the battery of choice for many of the world’s top ten biggest companies, including Apple, Google and Tesla- and why the lithium battery market it worth USD 54.4 billion. Clint has been running Zelandez from Austin, Texas since his Kiwi-founded safety software company, SaferMe, entered the American market in 2019, having gone from strength to strength - including huge growth with its workplace sign-in and tracking tools, which were massively in demand during the recent COVID pandemic, spurring huge growth.Today Clint talks about SaferMe’s journey, explains how the services Zelandez offers leave less of a toll on the environment and better lithium yield, and Clint gives advice for young people who want their career to take them from Christchurch to Colorado to the Lithium Triangle and beyond.In today's episode, we discuss:* Using oil and gas extraction techniques to get lithium brine out of the ground to help create the lithium-based batteries so many of our electric cars and digital devices rely on* The history of lithium use in batteries - who pioneered it, who has under-valued it, and how lithium is ready to be hugely valued as a commodity.* Advice on the right age to transition into an energy/minerals career.* How a degree in engineering led to working in investment analysis for Kiwi Wealth before Clint moved into SaaS startups.* How Clint’s bank managers reacted when they saw how much he was investing in lithium extraction technology.* How SaferMe pivoted during the pandemic to sell contact tracing tools - backed by the NZ government - which could have resulted in up to 20x company growth.* Getting a business deal with a Fortune 500 CEO through a LinkedIn “spam note”* Fallacies in New Zealand’s thinking about the best way to provide the cleanest electricity for the national grid.Referenced:* Zealandez: https://www.zelandez.com/* SaferMe: https://www.safer.me/* The Lithium Triangle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_Triangle* Best practices for reinjecting brine during lithium extraction: https://www.zelandez.com/news/the-lithium-brine-industry-must-share-reinjection-best-practices/Where to find Clint van Marrewijk:* LinkedIn* Twitter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz